by Andrew Lauck
“Leave me the hell alone, you sick pervert!” She started to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He reached up to slap her, but I moved quickly and caught his hand.
“Let her go,” I growled, twisting my grip on his arm. He reluctantly gave in and released his grip. In the corner of my eye, I saw his friend step forward. “Now, look, this doesn’t have to get messy. Just leave with your friend, and we’ll consider this whole thing a misunderstanding.” Even as I spoke, I knew there was no way they were leaving without a fight. The guy was silent for too long, so I looked just in time to see a fist rapidly closing the distance to my face.
Gotta love peaceful towns…
Chapter 12
In one swift motion, I shifted Chippy between me and his friend and kicked the back of his right calf with my foot, propelling his shin into his friend’s inner thigh. I remember back in civilized society whenever I got in a bar fight or something, I refused to fight dirty. That attitude changed the second I realized people were turning to cannibalism as a means of survival; right about the time I decided to start utilizing my knowledge of Krav Maga. People seem to believe that a fight is about who’s strongest or fastest, but it’s more about how much damage you can inflict on the other person while sustaining the least amount of physical harm. The latter is extremely important when you’re outnumbered.
Old Guy, as I decided on designating the friend since it’s shorter, and my hand is kind of tired as I write this, reflexively doubled over so I took the moment to focus on Chippy. The little bastard wasn’t as much of a threat intelligence-wise, but he had obviously been to a gym as his tank top revealed. I still had his wrist, so I forced him closer to the counter, getting further away from Old Guy. This move not only bought time and drew them away from Kat, which was my bigger concern, but also brought us closer to a hard surface. In a fight, it’s always important to utilize everything you can to win, and the environment can be your best friend. When you punch someone, the collision of knuckles on bones brings the risk of hurting your hand which can end it right there. And while I may know exactly how to hit someone, I’d prefer to use a certain nearby countertop to end this fast. The longer you engage with multiple enemies, the more time they have to circle you and come in from two sides.
I kicked the inside of Chippy’s kneecap, sending him to his knees, and slammed his face down into the hard, wooden surface of the cashier’s counter. It sounded really painful, but I let him slip to the floor dazed and bleeding. If he knew what was good for him, he’d stay down.
Old Guy had recovered and moved toward me, more hesitantly this time. I think he was beginning to realize he had severely underestimated me based on my size. I mean, I’m six foot two, one hundred and seventy pounds, so I can understand how one might make the same mistake, but it’s all muscle, and when you combine that with the knowledge to win, suddenly that skinny guy becomes a lethal threat.
I let him come to me, being patient and keeping the counter to my back. If Chippy somehow got up fast and got behind me, I would be in serious trouble. Old Guy knew it, too, so I think he was trying to stall by staying back. The unfortunate part is that, despite all my training, I’ve never been a very patient man.
Stepping forward, I brought up my arms in a standard boxing stance prepared to strike. Old Guy apparently didn’t box, because he took the barbarian approach instead, rushing me and swinging wildly. He had an easy fifty pounds on me, and I was sure if any of the swings collided I’d be seeing stars, so I backed up and dodged each blow until I saw an opening. His arm swung wide over my head, and I ducked under, closing in and firing a hard punch directly into his kidney. He yelled in what could have been pain or anger, and reached back to clutch his lower back, but I moved behind him and reached up to close my elbow tight around his throat.
Before I could get my other arm locked in to complete the chokehold, Old Guy reached up and pried my forearm away from his throat, holding on and throwing me forward into the wall. The thin wood cracked, and I slid down to the floor, but he picked me up and slammed my head back into it. His huge hand closed on my neck, squeezing. My vision blurred, and I knew if I didn’t break out of this fast I’d pass out. I punched the inside of his elbow, but he caught my hand and pinned it to the wall, tightening his grip around my throat. Either the store was slowly losing power, or I was passing out, so I decided to do something crazy. It always seems to work for heroes in the movies.
I brought my knees up to my chest and kicked out explosively, sending me back through the wall and out into the dirt in a pile of broken wood and dust. Old Guy staggered back a few feet, but he didn’t seem to want to go down anytime soon. Luckily, I had enough time to take a few deep breaths and regain my vision. Coughing and rubbing my throat, trying to will oxygen back in, I stood and waited. Old Guy pushed through the broken pieces of the wall and charged at me, not wanting to relent and let me collect myself.
Unfortunately for him, I was pissed. I met him head-on in a charge, rolling past him and coming up fast. He had barely turned, when I lashed out with a straight kick to his sternum. His body moved back, and I turned to grab a piece of broken wood, stepping in as I did so. This asshole was about to get it. Old Guy came at me again, and this time I didn’t move as I swung the wood with all my might into his face. I felt the vibrations up my arm as he fell to the ground, but I didn’t let up. Bringing the wood down on his head repeatedly, he eventually ceased to get up after four more hits, and I held the wood at my side.
“If you’re smart, you won’t get up.” I stretched my back and rubbed my neck, knowing I’d feel that in the morning. Looking down, I noticed I had a few cuts and scrapes along my arms from the splintered wood, but I’d live. Kat stood with her mouth hanging open in shock by the counter when I walked back in brushing dust off my shirt. Bill had a flicker of surprise when he saw me walk back in, but changed to a smile when he noticed I was watching his reaction.
“That was amazing! How do you know how to fight like that?” Kat exclaimed, almost jumping up and down. I’m surprised she didn’t clap. Either way, it caught me off guard.
“I did a lot of training back in the day, Kat.” I leaned down and brushed off my pants, though I didn’t really care if they were clean or not. During a zombie apocalypse, I guess you could say laundry was not a priority.
“You have so got to teach me that stuff. I mean, what if I’m in that kind of situation?” I gave her an “I don’t know” look, so she added, “It wouldn’t use bullets.” It was almost like those old shows where the kid kicked the dirt and shamefully said, “Please, Dad?” How could I refuse that?
“Fine, but not today.” I sighed.
“Yay!” This time she did a little clap and rushed over to hug me. “Oh, I found something, and I was wondering if maybe…we could get it?” I motioned for her to bring it over, and she came back with a small bottle. I turned it over to see that it was shampoo. I couldn’t help but smile.
“What do you want for this?” I asked the cashier, holding it up. He shrugged in response.
“What do you have?” I thought about what I had that was expendable. The bedroll, guns, and ammunition were off-limits. The toilet paper I had was a luxury, technically, but I didn’t want to give it up.
“Band-Aids?” I asked, setting my pack down and reaching in to pull out a box of anti-bacterial Band-Aids. “I’ll give you half a box.” The cashier seemed excited by this new addition to his store, so he hastily said yes.
“We have a lot of accidents around here with people working so much. These will be really handy.” I put the pack back on and turned to Bill, ignoring Kat’s clapping.
“What do you say we go see that hotel now?” I gestured for him to lead the way and followed behind him, Kat staying close behind. I think the show back in the store might have brought us closer or something. I…
Dammit. I completely forgot to see about that razor. I sighed out loud, and Bill looked back at me, but he knew better than to say anything. I
think my body language said what kind of mood I was in.
Chapter 13
2100 Hours
The hotel was down toward the opposite end of town, a repaired version of the remnants that it no doubt was when Dawes and his group found it. The guy reminded me of Lugosi’s Dracula, complete with dark atmosphere and European accent. I wonder if I had asked Dawes to say “I want to suck your blood,” would he have pulled it off with the same menacing tone.
Bill showed us to our room, opening the door slowly as if he was expecting something to jump out. Nothing did, but he remained tense as he ushered me in.
“The lady’s room is down the end of the hall, if she’ll follow me?” Bill started walking away with Kat, so I turned and stopped him.
“What do you mean? Kat’s staying with me.” I kept my tone level, but it required a lot more control than I was used to. I once again found myself playing the father figure, and it was starting to feel more natural.
“Sir, I apologize. We just assumed that she would prefer a separate room with her being a woman and all.”
“Well, we’ll be just—” I started to protest, but Kat put her hand on my shoulder and calmed me.
“I’ll be fine, Eric. Don’t worry.” She made sure I looked her in the eyes before following Bill down the hall. I watched Kat walk inside her room and waited for Bill to come back my way before waving him over.
“I just wanted to say we’re all sorry about what hap—”
“Bill, do me a favor and save it, okay? Just listen, because I want this to be crystal clear. I don’t know what sort of bullshit plan you guys have going on in this town, but I know it’s not good. In the morning, I’m taking Kat and our things, and we’re leaving.” I stopped myself. “And since you’re such a nice guy, would you pass along a message to Dawes?”
Bill nodded in affirmation and waited, leaning forward slightly.
“Tell him that if he or any of his cult tries to stop us from leaving in any way, what follows will be a whole lot of meaningless violence.” I patted Bill on the shoulder and walked inside my room, shutting the door behind me. I honestly didn’t care if Bill was left standing there, because I was exhausted from the day’s festivities. Walking into the bathroom, I discovered a small shower with a sliding panel for a door. After marveling at this for a minute, I couldn’t wait to try it out, but there was something I needed to do first.
Grabbing my things, I opened the door and checked the hall for guards. It was clear, so I jogged down to Kat’s room and knocked quietly. I heard a door squeak open, and the sounds of running water drifted from beyond.
“Who is it?” she asked cautiously.
“It’s Eric. I just wanted to give you some things for the night.” Footsteps approached the door from within, and I heard a lock disengage before the door opened. Kat poked her head out, and making sure it was safe, walked into the room in a towel. I walked past her and closed the door, not trusting the hotel to be as empty as it seemed.
I went to her bed and set down my pack.
“I noticed there were no blankets on the beds, and it can get pretty cold here.” I withdrew an extra winter jacket I had grabbed so long ago at that K-Mart. I realized that even though that had been half a year ago the past week felt longer.
I handed Kat the jacket and un-clasped the Sig on my hip. She looked down at it with a look between shock and excitement. Holding it up, I kept my eyes on hers to make sure she took this seriously.
“This gun is not a toy, Katherine. It’s a nine millimeter Sig Sauer P226.” I ejected the magazine, holding it up so she could see where I pressed. “When you press this, the magazine ejects. The clip holds twenty rounds, with one in the chamber. When you run out, the slide will lock back which means you eject the empty clip and put a new one in. This,” I flipped the gun over and moved my thumb so she could see, “is the safety. Flip it off, and it becomes a live weapon. The mechanic is simple: Aim and shoot. Just make sure you have a grip on it, because when you fire it will recoil into your hand.” I held up her hand and placed the steel in her palm.
“Why are you giving me this?” She looked back up to me, worry in her eyes. I guess it’s all fun and games until you actually have the gun in your hand and are faced with the prospect of shooting someone.
“I don’t trust these people, and if you’re set on being in a separate room tonight, I’d feel better if I knew you had the means to defend yourself. Keep this on safe unless you need it, though.”
“But, Eric, what if you need this? I mean, what if we get attacked?” I smiled softly at that.
“Katherine, I don’t need a gun to protect you. It’s just nice to have as a failsafe. Besides, I’ve always got the rifle. Tomorrow morning we’re leaving. Something about this place doesn’t feel right, so we’ll get our things together, and get the hell out.”
“Are you sure? I mean, what if you’re just paranoid?”
“Kat, trust me. I’ve been through too much and been right far too often to be paranoid. If you really want to stay, I won’t go, but we could find another place to stay somewhere down the road.” I waited silently for her answer, not wanting to push either way. It was a big decision to bank on someone you’ve only known for a week, after all.
“I’ll go,” she said, nodding encouragingly. I think the nodding was more to convince herself that she was making the right choice.
“Alright, I’ll come and get you in the morning. Don’t answer the door for anyone else until you hear me, okay?”
“I know the drill, Eric. I wasn’t just hatched.” She smiled slightly, and I smiled back.
“I know. Just making sure.” I stopped myself from hugging her and took a step back. “Get some sleep, Kat. It’s gonna be a busy day tomorrow.” With that, I turned and walked back to my room. On my way back, I felt like I needed to get out immediately, but I also needed a night of sleep, or I’d be useless tomorrow. If you’re wondering at this point why I named the man Old Guy, it’s because my son used to call me old, and part of me still remembered those days.
Random thoughts like that always took me back to the good old days. The house, the wife, the kid…Who am I kidding? Those days were filled with bullshit from my ex-wife, and a boring job that I hated. As odd as it may seem, I kind of like how it is now. I’m free to do whatever I want, go wherever I want without restriction, or at least that’s what I tried to convince myself. It’s just what the doctor ordered, not that you’ll find any doctors around anymore. There’s probably some poor bastard out there all zombified still wearing his lab coat.
I locked the door and went about undressing, entering the shower and turning the knobs to get the water flowing. Stepping inside and sliding the door closed behind me, I felt the warm water hit my skin like a train of freezing water hitting a guy wandering through a desert for weeks. I couldn’t even remember the last time I took a shower, so this was like a small piece of Heaven raining on my skin. I spent ten minutes under the hot downpour before turning it off, watching the steam rise up to the ceiling. There was no mirror, so I used my hand as a makeshift comb and tousled my hair until it felt dry enough to sleep.
I leaned my rifle against the wall within arm’s reach in case the night proved eventful and let my head hit the pillow. Now, I believe I’ll go to sleep and see where the night takes me. Hopefully, for once in a very long time, I’m wrong about something.
Chapter 14
Day 179
2100 Hours
You know, it’s funny how much can happen in twenty-four hours. Last night at this time I was laying down to a good night’s sleep for the first time in 178 days, and now I’m sitting on a dune of sand watching flames fill the night sky with smoke and sparks. It reminds me of back when I was in Boy Scouts as a kid when the campfire would always make me sleepy. My whole body is sore, and I’m pretty sure I might have cracked a rib or broken something. I don’t really care, though, because what matters most is that I kept my promise.
I guess at this point you�
��re wondering just what the hell happened. I did jump a whole day ahead, didn’t I? Allow me to fill you in.
I was having a nightmare when I woke up to a frantic knocking on my door. The rifle was already in my hands as I stood, moving cautiously to the door.
“Who is it?” I placed the barrel of my rifle at chest-level against the door, my finger just off of the trigger.
“It’s Matthew. Please, let me in.” I took a second to remember a Matthew, but I eventually recalled the name from the bar and opened the door. The kid hurried in and closed the door behind him, acting extremely odd even for this bunch of crazies.
“Look, kid, this had better be good because I—” He cut me off before I threatened him.
“We have to go now, sir.” He looked back over his shoulder at me before looking back through the peephole.
“Excuse me?”
“Dawes just called a town meeting and set the agenda for tonight’s discussion. Bill mentioned that you were planning to leave and what you said, sir.”
“Yeah, get to the point,” I said, grabbing my pack just in case.
“My instructions are to greet any newcomers to the town, make them feel as welcome as possible. Everyone is told to make visitors never want to leave. Dawes doesn’t let anyone leave, sir. They either work for him or…”
“Or what, Matthew?”
“Or he kills them. That’s why we have to leave now.” He opened the door slowly, peering out.
“Alright, I’ll get Katherine, and we can go.” I left the room and started down the hall, but Matthew stopped me.
“They already took her. She’s not in her room. Dawes plans to use her to get you to join the town. Today in the store was a test, and you passed.” He sounded almost sorry that I did.